Section 1Short title, commencement and application

Chapter I — Preliminary

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Text of the law

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(1) This Act may be called the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint, and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Sanhita.
(3) Every person shall be liable to punishment under this Sanhita and not otherwise for every act or omission contrary to the provisions thereof, of which he shall be guilty within India.
(4) Any person liable, by any law for the time being in force in India, to be tried for an offence committed beyond India shall be dealt with according to the provisions of this Sanhita for any act committed beyond India in the same manner as if such act had been committed within India.
(5) The provisions of this Sanhita shall also apply to any offence committed by—
1. (a) any citizen of India in any place without and beyond India;
2. (b) any person on any ship or aircraft registered in India wherever it may be;
3. (c) any person in any place without and beyond India committing offence targeting a computer resource located in India.
4. Explanation.— In this section, the word "offence" includes every act committed outside India which, if committed in India, would be punishable under this Sanhita.
5. Illustration. A, who is a citizen of India, commits a murder in any place without and beyond India. He can be tried and convicted of murder in any place in India in which he may be found.
(6) Nothing in this Sanhita shall affect the provisions of any Act for punishing mutiny and desertion of officers, soldiers, sailors or airmen in the service of the Government of India or the provisions of any special or local law.

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Source and checking

Where this text comes from: Gazette of India, Extraordinary, No. 53, 25 December 2023 (Act No. 45 of 2023)
Type of text: Official text (Gazette)
Pages in the Gazette: pp. 1–2
Text version: As originally enacted in 2023. This text may not reflect subsequent amendments or commencement notifications. Last status check: 6 November 2026.
When the Act came into force: 1 July 2024, under Government notification S.O. 850(E), dated 23 February 2024. Read notification S.O. 850(E) in the Gazette of India (PDF, opens in a new tab)The notification excluded section 106(2); see the note on that section.Whether an excluded provision was brought into force later has not been independently confirmed. Checked against the Gazette on 6 November 2026. Not yet reviewed by a qualified legal professional.
Checked by computer against the Gazette?: Yes, words and structure match
Reviewed by a qualified legal professional?: Not yet
Copied on: 6 Nov 2026

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